Summary of On Libraries by Oliver Sack | Essay | Class XII English Note (Exercise)

On Libraries Oliver Sack

Summary of the Essay

On Libraries" by Oliver Sacks expresses his deep love for books and libraries. The essay serves as a tribute to intellectual freedom, collaborative learning, and the joy of unexpected discovery. According to Sacks, such experiences are uniquely found in traditional libraries.

Sacks loved reading from a young age. His home library, filled with books from his parents and brothers, was his favourite place. He especially enjoyed The Jungle Book and spent hours reading there. The Willesden Public Library played a big role in his education, giving him the freedom to explore books on his own.

As he grew older, he became interested in science, especially chemistry. At school and university, he used many libraries, including the famous Bodleian at Oxford, where he found the now-obscure and forgotten works of Theodore Hook, a man greatly admired for his wit and his genius for theatrical and musical improvisation. He also loved the Queen’s College library, where he could hold ancient books like Darwin’s original works and writings by Sir Thomas Browne.

Later, while working in New York, he loved the quiet and space of the medical college library. He enjoyed walking among the shelves and sometimes met others looking for the same books. This leads to conversations and friendships. However, by the 1990s, students began using computers instead of books, and most of the library collection was removed.

Sacks was deeply upset by this change. He believed that something precious had been lost. Although librarians said important books were digitized, he missed the look, smell, and feel of real books. To him, removing books from libraries meant losing a connection to knowledge, history, and human experience.

Understanding the text

Answer the following questions.

a. Where could the author be found when he was late for lunch or dinner?

The author could be found in the library when he was late for lunch or dinner.

b. What are his first memories?

His first memories are of books and the library at home.

c. Why did he dislike school?

He didn’t like school because he couldn’t just sit back, listen, and follow instructions. Instead, he wanted to take charge of his own learning, choose the subjects that interested him, and study them in a way that worked best for him.

d. What did he feel about at the library?

At the library, he felt free to look at the thousands of books, to roam and to enjoy the special atmosphere and the quiet companionship of other readers like him on quests of their own.

e. Why was he so biased about sciences especially astronomy and chemistry?

He was so biased about sciences especially astronomy and chemistry because of his growing interest in science.

f. Why did he become so fascinated by Hook?

He became so fascinated by Hook because he was a man greatly admired in the early nineteenth century for his wit and his genius for theatrical and musical improvisation (creativeness).

g. Describe library at the Queen’s College.

The library at Queen’s College was designed by Christopher Wren. Below it was an underground maze with shelves full of ancient books. Sacks could freely explore rare works like Darwin’s original writings and books by Sir Thomas Browne, which gave him a deep sense of history and language.

h. Why did the students ignore the bookshelves in the 1990s?

The students ignore the bookshelves in the 1990s because they could access what they needed with their computers.

i. Why was he horrified when he visited the library a couple of months ago?

He was horrified when he visited the library a couple of months ago because the shelves of the library once overflowing, sparsely occupied.

Reference to the context

a. The author says, “I was not a good pupil, but I was a good listener.” Justify it with the textual evidences.

The author was not a good pupil. He disliked school. Sitting in the classroom, receiving instruction and information seemed to go in one ear and out by the other. He was a good learner. He had to be active, learn for himself, learn what he wanted, and in the way which suited him best. He roamed in the libraries and had the freedom to select whatever he wanted, to follow paths which fascinated him, to become himself. At the library he felt free to enjoy the special atmosphere and the quiet companionship of other readers like himself on quests of their own.

b. A proverb says, "Nothing is pleasanter than exploring a library." Does this proverb apply in the essay? Explain.

The essay deals with the significance of exploring the library. When the essayist was a child, his favorite room at home was the library. Books and his library are among his first memories. He disliked school. He gave a deaf ear to learning in the classroom. For him, library was the best place to learn what he wanted. At the library, he was free to choose the books, and to enjoy the special atmosphere and the silent companionship of other readers. When he was at the library he was the master of his own time and mind. He found the living substance of learning without the ill-fitting structure of schooling. Thus, the proverb 'nothing is pleasanter than exploring a library.' applies in the essay.

c. Are there any other services that you would like to see added to the library?

Libraries are committed to the benefits of learners. The library shelves are required to have a good range of books which interest the readers. Having a wi-fi network is a basic requirement everywhere these days. The users should be allowed to use their own mobile phones or laptops to connect to the library's network for downloading and reading E-books, journals, magazines or using other online sources for learning.

Reference beyond the text

Write an essay on Libraries and its uses for students.

Libraries and Its Uses for Students

Libraries are the places where books and sources of information are stored. It is easier for students to get access to the libraries for various purposes. They include books, journals, magazines, manuscripts, etc. encompassing sources of information for students.

Libraries play a key role in providing students with reliable content for learning. They encourage and promote the process of grasping knowledge. The readers can get loads of books to read from the libraries and enhance their knowledge. At the library, the various sources of information is so wide ranging that one mostly gets what they are looking for.

Libraries help the students to get their hands on great educational materials. When they are read more, their skills and academic performance improve. For writing research papers and studies libraries are the best source. This helps students in saving a lot of money and getting information free of cost.

To sum up, libraries permit the students to develop their reading habit. They can use libraries for gaining knowledge and improving academic performance, and getting good educational materials.